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The Big Ten commish delivers a preemptive propaganda strike as his league moves to 9 conference games and no FCS opponents starting in 2016.
Just wait. Ohio State's and Michigan's schedules are going to be tougher than Alabama's and Auburn's.
OK, that's not exactly what Jim Delany said Friday during his annual address at Big Ten Media Days, but that had to be what the Big Ten commissioner meant.
Or at least what he wants the College Football Playoff selection committee to think.
Delany pointed out that, starting with the 2016 season, Big Ten football schedules will move from eight to nine conference games and will mandate one Power 5 non-conference opponent. The other two non-conference opponents must be Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
In other words, no Jacksonville State (at Auburn Sept. 12) or Charleston Southern (at Alabama Nov. 21) or anyone else from the Football Championship Subdivision.
A year from now, the Big Ten will be the only Power 5 conference with all of these rugged scheduling components: Nine league games, at least one Power-5 non-conference opponent, all 12 regular-season games against FBS schools and a conference championship game.
"We think it's what our fans want," Delany said. "We think it's what our players want. And we think it's what the College Football Playoff committee wants."
Emphasis on what the committee wants.
It's a scheduling model that's been promoted for some time by Alabama coach Nick Saban, but he's gotten little support from anyone else in his league to add even more muscle to the SEC's degree of difficulty.
That hasn't been a problem for the SEC - yet - but Delany's already begun his preemptive propaganda campaign. He focused Friday on the Big Ten's plank of no-FCS opponents.
Nothing against the FCS, he said - "I saw Appalachian State beat Michigan" - but they're at a distinct competitive disadvantage against the big boys because "they only have 63 scholarships."
"I'm not sure that people have paid as much attention to the (College Football Playoff) guidelines for selection of teams," Delany said. "There are about eight paragraphs that deal with the issue of when resumes look similar, similar record, similar resumes. Conference champions are going to get the first tiebreaker consideration. And strength of schedule is going to get the second.
"So if you start looking at schedules that have FCS teams that have some 20 fewer scholarships, I think that's a consideration. I think, if you're playing more conference games and you're in a strong conference that, typically, is going to give you a stronger strength of schedule resume. I think winning a conference championship game gives you an advantage."
It's why Ohio State got the last playoff berth a year ago ahead of Baylor and TCU. It's why the Big Ten champion could have an edge on the SEC champ a year from now in that committee room.
Of course, the Big Ten champion had an edge on the SEC champ last season where it counted most - in the Superdome on New Year's Night.
Delany already carries a big stick as the senior Power 5 commissioner. Ohio State's playoff victories over Alabama and Oregon to secure the Big Ten's first national title in 12 years gave him a little more room to talk.
The Big Ten's beefed-up schedules going forward should only add to his clout.
Continue reading...
Just wait. Ohio State's and Michigan's schedules are going to be tougher than Alabama's and Auburn's.
OK, that's not exactly what Jim Delany said Friday during his annual address at Big Ten Media Days, but that had to be what the Big Ten commissioner meant.
Or at least what he wants the College Football Playoff selection committee to think.
Delany pointed out that, starting with the 2016 season, Big Ten football schedules will move from eight to nine conference games and will mandate one Power 5 non-conference opponent. The other two non-conference opponents must be Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
In other words, no Jacksonville State (at Auburn Sept. 12) or Charleston Southern (at Alabama Nov. 21) or anyone else from the Football Championship Subdivision.
A year from now, the Big Ten will be the only Power 5 conference with all of these rugged scheduling components: Nine league games, at least one Power-5 non-conference opponent, all 12 regular-season games against FBS schools and a conference championship game.
"We think it's what our fans want," Delany said. "We think it's what our players want. And we think it's what the College Football Playoff committee wants."
Emphasis on what the committee wants.
It's a scheduling model that's been promoted for some time by Alabama coach Nick Saban, but he's gotten little support from anyone else in his league to add even more muscle to the SEC's degree of difficulty.
That hasn't been a problem for the SEC - yet - but Delany's already begun his preemptive propaganda campaign. He focused Friday on the Big Ten's plank of no-FCS opponents.
Nothing against the FCS, he said - "I saw Appalachian State beat Michigan" - but they're at a distinct competitive disadvantage against the big boys because "they only have 63 scholarships."
"I'm not sure that people have paid as much attention to the (College Football Playoff) guidelines for selection of teams," Delany said. "There are about eight paragraphs that deal with the issue of when resumes look similar, similar record, similar resumes. Conference champions are going to get the first tiebreaker consideration. And strength of schedule is going to get the second.
"So if you start looking at schedules that have FCS teams that have some 20 fewer scholarships, I think that's a consideration. I think, if you're playing more conference games and you're in a strong conference that, typically, is going to give you a stronger strength of schedule resume. I think winning a conference championship game gives you an advantage."
It's why Ohio State got the last playoff berth a year ago ahead of Baylor and TCU. It's why the Big Ten champion could have an edge on the SEC champ a year from now in that committee room.
Of course, the Big Ten champion had an edge on the SEC champ last season where it counted most - in the Superdome on New Year's Night.
Delany already carries a big stick as the senior Power 5 commissioner. Ohio State's playoff victories over Alabama and Oregon to secure the Big Ten's first national title in 12 years gave him a little more room to talk.
The Big Ten's beefed-up schedules going forward should only add to his clout.
Continue reading...
